37,313 Migrants Arrested: Thailand Pushes for Talks on Workers in Malaysia

37,313 Migrants Arrested: Thailand Pushes for Talks on Workers in Malaysia

SONGKHLA, October 14, 2026 — A Thai senator has urged the government to open urgent negotiations with Malaysia over special work permits for people from Thailand’s southern border provinces, warning that a crackdown on undocumented workers could threaten the livelihoods of thousands of families.

Senator Chaiyong Maneerungsakul made the appeal on October 12, following Malaysian immigration authorities’ arrest of 37,313 undocumented migrants during 10,374 enforcement operations between January 1 and September 29, 2026.

Chaiyong said more than 200,000 people from southern Thailand had previously worked in Malaysia, both legally and without documentation, generating at least 200 billion baht annually for Thailand. However, he provided no independent evidence for these estimates, and Malaysian officials have questioned claims about the scale of Thai employment in the country.

Thai restaurant workers face growing pressure

Chaiyong said cross-border employment had supported communities in southern Thailand for generations, particularly households with limited job opportunities at home.

Many Thai nationals have worked as cooks and restaurant employees in Malaysia, while others have established small businesses, including restaurants serving tom yum kung. Cultural, linguistic and religious connections between the two countries, combined with relatively low travel costs, have made Malaysia an important employment destination for people in Thailand’s southern provinces.

However, Chaiyong argued that the cost of obtaining the necessary employment documents had prevented some workers from securing legal status, leaving them vulnerable to inspections, arrest and deportation.

Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said authorities inspected 137,603 people during the first nine months of 2026. In addition to the 37,313 undocumented migrants arrested, 1,809 employers were detained over related offences, including 1,692 Malaysian citizens.

By October 8, the number of employers arrested had increased to 1,880, while authorities had collected RM41 million in compound penalties.

Malaysian authorities focus on restaurants

Restaurant and food-preparation businesses have been a particular focus of enforcement.

Malaysian officials reported that more than 25,000 foreign nationals had been arrested in operations targeting illegal business activities between 2024 and September 2026.

Under Ops Selera, an operation targeting restaurants and food-preparation businesses, authorities arrested 19,301 foreign nationals and 1,341 employers during the same period. Officials have not disclosed how many of the foreign nationals arrested were Thai.

Malaysia’s Immigration Director-General, Datuk Zakaria Shaaban, has also challenged estimates suggesting that approximately 200,000 Thai nationals work across Malaysia, including claims that 5,000 tom yum restaurants operate in the country.

As of September 15, Malaysia recorded 12,629 Thai nationals holding active temporary employment passes in specified restaurant-related occupations. The total included 12,541 Thai cooks, 43 restaurant crew members, 38 workers in eateries and seven restaurant workers.

These figures cover only specified occupations among documented workers. They exclude undocumented migrants and do not establish the total number of Thai nationals working in Malaysia or how many have lost their jobs because of the crackdown.

Zakaria separately reported that 2,316 Thai nationals had been arrested for allegedly misusing immigration passes between January 2025 and September 15, 2026.

Further enforcement operations on October 7 at nine locations in Seri Kembangan and Bandar Baru Klang, Selangor, resulted in 174 foreign nationals being detained after officers inspected 307 people. The detainees included 11 Thai nationals, while six Malaysian employers were also arrested.

Suspected violations included overstaying, misuse of immigration passes and failure to possess valid travel documents. Those detained were taken to the Semenyih Immigration Detention Depot while investigations continued.

Senator calls for direct negotiations

Chaiyong wants Thailand’s Ministry of Labour and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to negotiate directly with Malaysia’s federal government on special employment arrangements for Thai nationals from the southern border provinces.

He suggested that sister-city agreements linking five southern Thai provinces with five neighbouring Malaysian states could provide a foundation for cooperation. However, he acknowledged that previous efforts by the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) and southern political representatives had failed to secure an agreement.

“It is the duty of the Thai government, the Minister of Labour, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prioritise and seriously negotiate with the Malaysian central government on the issues of Thai workers, in order to solve unemployment and poverty in the southern border provinces,” Chaiyong said.

The issue was also discussed during a September 24 meeting in Kuala Lumpur between Thai Ambassador to Malaysia Lada Phumas and an SBPAC delegation.

The discussions covered economic development, vocational training and initiatives to support Thai nationals working in Malaysia, as well as potential cooperation in halal industries, agriculture, livestock, tourism and education.

However, no special work-permit scheme or programme to regularise undocumented Thai workers was announced following the meeting.

Chaiyong’s proposal now puts pressure on Bangkok to pursue a formal arrangement with Kuala Lumpur as Malaysia continues its enforcement campaign, with the potential consequences for cross-border workers and their families remaining uncertain.